Instances of miraculous healing in the scriptures
grab our attention; we would rather be healthy and strong than in pain or weak.
Our health reaches its peak at some point, and it is downhill from there,
mostly. Our bodies wear out at various speeds until death.
People pay extravagant sums trying to recapture the power and beauty of youth. No serum, elixir, salve, or anything else yet invented, can stave off death permanently, or halt the decline of health permanently.
People pay extravagant sums trying to recapture the power and beauty of youth. No serum, elixir, salve, or anything else yet invented, can stave off death permanently, or halt the decline of health permanently.
The Lord heals us not just because He is kind, but beyond that, those who experience miraculous healing have a work to do, and restored health enables them to accomplish that work. Again, spiritual considerations take preeminence over temporal convenience. (The Lord will actually give us weaknesses and flaws if it will further our spiritual, eternal progression; see Ether 12:27.)
Healings are usually temporary. Jesus raised the dead back to life during His mortal ministry, but it was to mortal life—He was the first Person to be resurrected, His spirit and body permanently reunited. We want health and restoration of limbs and organs, but to what end? It is better to die and be resurrected than to live forever in this telestial state. Unwelcome as death often is, delaying death indefinitely would interrupt our eternal progression. Mortal life ends according to God’s time table, ultimately.
Forgiveness With Healing
When the paralytic is lowered through the roof by his friends into the home where Jesus is teaching, Jesus says to him, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5). His friends had carried him on a bed for Jesus to heal his body temporarily, but Jesus gave him something that could last forever—forgiveness.
“For by the power of my Spirit created I them…
“First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work—
“…Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal…
“…for my commandments are spiritual…” (D&C 29:31-32, 34-35). This does not mean the Lord does not differentiate between spiritual and temporal; rather, the spiritual, eternal consequences of our obedience to His commandments take precedence over the temporal.
Yet Jesus heals both physically and spiritually—the whole human being.
The Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with publicans and sinners. Jesus responded, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:12-13). Mercy motivates His healing.
Among the most remarkable instances of healing in the scriptures is the account in Third Nephi, chapter 17. The Lord heals 2500 people physically, but this is only a prelude to mightier spiritual experiences.
Physical
In 3Ne. 17, Jesus announces that He must go elsewhere. The people fasten their eyes on Him, “as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer” (v. 5).
“And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you” (v. 6). We might be too shy to come to Jesus in a wounded or flawed state, but the Savior commands them to bring anyone forward in need of physical healing:
“Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
“For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you” (v. 7-8).Many people would trade everything for the offer these people have just received. Instead of money, faith was the price Jesus required of them. (Faith includes willingness to accept His will regarding our illnesses, whether to be healed or not. In some ways this kind of faith exacts more of us than the largest doctor’s fee—submission to God’s will.)
“And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (v. 9).
It often takes help from others to get us to Jesus. We either carry others to Him, or others carry us. The whole group participates: “bring them hither.”
“One accord” indicates unity—no pushing or shoving to get to the Savior.
“And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears” (v. 10).
The longer we suffer, the greater our gratitude at relief. Other virtues (like faith) grow in us as we cope with problems patiently and humbly. Easy to say, often extremely difficult to accomplish—but the Lord is instilling virtues, focusing on the spiritual outcome. We see the problem as a broken body; He sees our need for more humility, patience, and faith. Our bodies will die eventually; virtues can become eternal parts of us.
“Every trial that a man goes through, if he is faithful in that trial and does honor to God and his religion he has espoused, at the end of that trial or affliction that individual is nearer to God, nearer in regard to the increase of faith, wisdom, knowledge and power, and hence is more confident in calling upon the Lord for those things he desires” (Lorenzo Snow, Deseret News, Apr. 11, 1888, 200).
Spiritual
Jesus heals their physical ailments, but that only precedes a more magnificent blessing. Picture this:
“And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.
“So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him” (v. 11-12).
Jesus is in the center; children sitting in a ring around Him, the adults standing outside them.
“And it came to pass that when they had all been brought (again, helpless people carried to Him!), and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground.
“And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel” (v. 13-14).
These people are part of Israel, too. Are they “wicked?” Left to themselves, even after seeing Jesus perform miracles, these people might forget and slide back into sin.
Jesus does not point out problems without solving them (or offering solutions). What He does next for them heals these individuals, minds, hearts, and spirits.
“And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
“And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
“And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father” (v. 16-17).
What Jesus said when He prayed for them was not just forbidden to repeat; it was inconceivable, ineffable, beyond mortal ability to contrive or express. Whatever He said, this prayer filled them with incomprehensible joy. (There are good things awaiting us in heaven beyond what we have yet experienced.)
Jesus intervenes, getting the Nephites (and us) ready to live in Zion, and then heaven.
Many people have speculated and dreamed of living in
an ideal society; what does it take to actually make one? Third and Fourth
Nephi record the birth of an actual Utopia. Here we see that it takes more than
good intentions and human ability, wisdom, or exertion. It takes divine
intervention.
“And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome” (v. 18). They needed healthy, whole bodies in order to endure this ineffable spiritual experience; they were overcome by intense joy.
“And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
“And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
“And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bear record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (v. 19-21).
Earlier, Jesus “groaned,” lamenting the wickedness of the world. But He tells the people that now His joy is full—because of their faith.
Again, though He is interacting with a crowd, Jesus ministers to individuals. He blesses each child individually, and prays for each child.
“And when he had done this he wept again;
“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (v. 22-24).
It takes divine intervention, God and His angels, to raise lost individuals from sin. Angels are involved in ministering to lost children, especially when faithful parents cannot reach them.
Is it significant that this event transpires near a Temple? Family history work and Temple work strengthen the youth of the Church today against evil like few other things. For these little ones, their Temple experience with Jesus and His holy angels fortifies them permanently.
“And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children” (v. 25).
Physical healing is an incomplete gift; any such gift also requires some kind of spiritual rebirth to empower them to not misuse their health and extra time on earth. The prayers and blessings of Jesus, followed by angelic ministrations, set individuals (ergo families, ergo a nation) on the right path.
It is possible to have perfectly good health, yet be miserable. It is possible to have a broken body, yet be filled with light (see 3Ne. 13:22) and have lasting joy. These people were healed physically and spiritually by Jesus, and filled with joy by Him.
“And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome” (v. 18). They needed healthy, whole bodies in order to endure this ineffable spiritual experience; they were overcome by intense joy.
“And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
“And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
“And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bear record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (v. 19-21).
Earlier, Jesus “groaned,” lamenting the wickedness of the world. But He tells the people that now His joy is full—because of their faith.
Again, though He is interacting with a crowd, Jesus ministers to individuals. He blesses each child individually, and prays for each child.
“And when he had done this he wept again;
“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (v. 22-24).
It takes divine intervention, God and His angels, to raise lost individuals from sin. Angels are involved in ministering to lost children, especially when faithful parents cannot reach them.
Is it significant that this event transpires near a Temple? Family history work and Temple work strengthen the youth of the Church today against evil like few other things. For these little ones, their Temple experience with Jesus and His holy angels fortifies them permanently.
“And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children” (v. 25).
Physical healing is an incomplete gift; any such gift also requires some kind of spiritual rebirth to empower them to not misuse their health and extra time on earth. The prayers and blessings of Jesus, followed by angelic ministrations, set individuals (ergo families, ergo a nation) on the right path.
It is possible to have perfectly good health, yet be miserable. It is possible to have a broken body, yet be filled with light (see 3Ne. 13:22) and have lasting joy. These people were healed physically and spiritually by Jesus, and filled with joy by Him.
